UNC Basketball: Big news with Armando Bacot returning for 2023-24 season
By Karl Heiser
UNC Basketball got some good news today as senior Armando Bacot announced his intention to return to Chapel Hill for a fifth season. The news was first reported by Stadium’s Jeff Goodman on Twitter.
BREAKING: North Carolina big man Armando Bacot is returning to Chapel Hill for another season, he tells @Stadium.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 22, 2023
“I’m using my last year of eligibility.” Bacot said. “I felt it was the right decision for my future.”
Bacot averaged 15.9 points and 10.4 boards.
Bacot averaged 15.9 points and 10.4 rebounds this season on the way to All-ACC First Team honors. He became UNC’s all-time leader in rebounds and is on pace to break Tim Duncan’s all-time ACC mark in his fifth year. The veteran Tar Heel also ranks top-15 for career rebounds in NCAA history.
Over four seasons at UNC, Armando Bacot has averaged 13.7 points and 10.1 rebounds while shooting 55.6% from the field. He has been named to two All-ACC First Teams and one All-ACC Third Team. After the Tar Heels’ run to the national championship game in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, the 6’11” big was named to both the All-Region and All-Tournament teams.
After the news broke, Bacot took to Twitter and posted a picture of Perry Ellis, a former Kansas big who became well-known for seemingly being in college forever despite only spending four years with the Jayhawks.
https://t.co/vvAHsPjgpV pic.twitter.com/jt0Z1Ga7qq
— Armando Bacot Jr. (@iget_buckets35) March 22, 2023
UNC Basketball has lost four players to the transfer portal in recent days – Puff Johnson, Tyler Nickel, Justin McKoy, and Dontrez Styles. The continuity Bacot provides UNC for next season will be crucial as head coach Hubert Davis looks to bounce back from a rough 2022-23 campaign. There is currently no word on what the backcourt tandem of Caleb Love and RJ Davis plan to do going into next season.
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UNC Basketball finished this season with a 20-13 overall record and 11-9 mark in ACC play. Despite being the preseason No. 1 team in the country, the Tar Heels failed to make the NCAA Tournament, winding up as one of the First Four Out. They declined an invitation to the NIT. Looking ahead to 2023-24, UNC has the No. 31 incoming class per 247Sports.